Air filter housing assemblies for today's motor vehicles typically comprise a housing and a lid manufactured using injection molded plastic. It could also be blow molded or made by other appropriate means. A serviceable air filter element is held in the housing. The compression of the filter element seal in the housing is typically accomplished by securing the lid in place with screws, hooks and fingers, spring clamps or a combination of those elements or features. In one particularly useful embodiment, a single—piece spring clip is retained to the housing with an integrally molded spring clip pin and cleat.
While such a construction is relatively inexpensive and provides for reliable operation and performance, it should be appreciated that the housing and lid must be shaped and molded in accordance with available space and the particular packaging requirements found under the hood that are potentially unique to each application. In fact, it has now been found that it may not always be desirable to integrally mold the spring clip cleat with the housing. This document relates to a new and improved spring clip assembly incorporating a discrete clip cleat and a fastener carried on that clip cleat. Further, this document relates to an air filter housing assembly incorporating a discrete clip cleat received and held in a mounting aperture in the housing of the filter assembly as well as a fastener carried on that clip cleat.